Last year, we reported that a Jeep-based pickup was a possibility, but not a priority. However, our friends at Four Wheeler learned in an exclusive interview with Mike Manley, Head of Jeep Brand, at the 2016 Detroit auto show that a Wrangler-based pickup has been confirmed for production. However, the executive did not reveal any other details regarding the new truck.
Once it goes on sale, the Wrangler-based pickup will be competing against other midsize trucks including the Toyota Tacoma, GMC Canyon, Chevrolet Colorado, and the recently revealed 2017 Honda Ridgeline. If rumors of a global Ford Ranger arriving by the end of the decade and Nissan Navara-based replacement for the Frontier prove true, then more players should arrive on the market.
On September 2015, the management at FCA’s Toledo plant revealed that the Jeep Cherokee line will be moved to another plant. The Toledo Assembly Complex will likely be converted into a production line that manufactures the Wrangler and its variants exclusively. Jeep’s Wrangler-based pickup is expected to debut after the next-generation Wrangler, which is scheduled to be introduced sometime in 2017 or 2018.
New engines and transmissions are rumored to help the next-generation Wrangler better compete with car-based SUVs by improving fuel economy. Additionally, the SUV is also expected to lose a few pounds in an effort to make it lighter.
Source: Four Wheeler
The post Jeep Boss Mike Manley Confirms Wrangler Pickup on the Way appeared first on Motor Trend.
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